Mariano Rivera touches his newly unveiled retired number during a ceremony in Monument Park as the San Francisco Giants visit the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx as the Yankees honor Rivera's career in pinstripes. 9/22/13 (John Munson/The Star-Ledger)

Mariano Rivera has said it was his dream to play center field in the majors, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi even said he'd "absolutely" consider giving Rivera an inning there in the team's last series of the season against Houston.

It never happened. And don't expect it to happen when the Yankees face the Marlins for a two-game series honoring Rivera in his home country of Panama this weekend, Girardi said.

Girardi told reporters Tuesday that the legendary closer hasn't brought up the idea.

"I'm sure enough will be written about it, so he'll hear about it," Girardi said.

For most of his career, Rivera shagged fly balls in the outfield during batting practice until he injured his ACL doing it in late 2012, causing him to miss the season.

Rivera recently told Michael Key on 98.7 ESPN Radio New York that he wouldn't play in the games because he wouldn't feel like he was at his best.